AUGUST 23

THREE WAYS YOU’RE ACTUALLY MAKING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ANTI-SOCIAL

Social media has evolved into an essential piece of any company’s brand presence and marketing strategy. No matter who your target audience is or what defines your marketing and sales goals, social media can be optimized to meet various needs such as spreading brand awareness, establishing credibility or nurturing leads.

But how exactly do you tailor your brand’s social media presence to catch your audience’s attention? Instead of spending hours crafting an over-complicated strategy, start simple—make it social. Remember that there are people behind the profiles interacting with your content. Use your platform to build relationships with these individuals to help drive engagements and follower growth.

So, how do you know if you’ve been sharing anti-social media? To get started, think about how to make your online presence more personable by avoiding these three common mistakes.

You aren’t acting like yourself.

I’m sure you were told to “be yourself” time and time again throughout your childhood, but you may not have expected this life lesson to carry over into your B2B social media strategy. People can see through insincere behavior online just like they can face-to-face. Publishing updates on company events, team-building activities and hiring needs can humanize your online brand and create an authentic social media presence.

To avoid losing sight of your established brand, make sure you’re sharing authentic content that aligns with your company’s culture and tone. Showing your personality through social media should come naturally and be cohesive with the voice of your organization. If you’re struggling with tying your brand to a viral meme, it may not be the best content to interact with. Focus on creating content that blends with your company’s messaging instead of forcing your brand’s social media to fit a specific, trendy or popular mold.

You talk to your followers as one target audience.

One key to being a social person is having the ability to foster unique relationships with various individuals. If your social content is only aiming for one segment of your audience, chances are you’re losing the interest of others. When creating your social media strategy, establish a short list of needs you have to meet. Is your social media only used for recruiting and sharing your company’s culture, or are you also trying to establish thought leadership through industry-related discussions? Figure out what you want to accomplish, and then ensure your content fosters custom relationships with each of your audience segments.

You wouldn’t talk to an industry analyst the same way you would a potential entry-level employee, so make sure your content has the variety your unique audiences need.

You’re treating it like a one-way street.

Like a friendship, you can’t expect your social followers to continuously engage with your content if you aren’t returning the favor. Are you giving your followers the engagement you expect them to give you? If not, you’re going to lose the interest of your audience, and fast.

Invest in your followers and gain traction in your social media efforts by tagging publications, authors and partners, when applicable. Keep in a mind that likes, shares and other engagements go a long way as well. Interacting with other users’ content will encourage them to reciprocate and help establish your profile’s credibility.

Are you ready to say goodbye to anti-social media? Idea Grove can help. Learn more about our social media services here.